Russell Ingall to make TCR debut at The Bend

Former Supercars champion Russell Ingall will make his debut in the TCR Australia series this weekend when he joins the grid at The Bend Motorsport Park.

The two-time Bathurst winner will be at the wheel of the Audi RS 3 LMS that has been raced by Rik Breukers and Hamish Ribarits this season for the Melbourne Performance Centre.

The 55-year-old will sample the Audi for the first time in a test at Mallala Motorsport Park on Thursday before the race weekend kicks off at The Bend with two practice sessions on Friday.

“I’ve spoken about TCR a lot, so it’s great to finally get to a chance to see exactly what all the hype is about,” Ingall said.

“Paul Morris and I have been discussing TCR for quite some time on our online show. ‘The Dude’ (Morris) was at the last round at Phillip Island, and he was very complimentary. He believed that it was more exciting live than on TV.

“His recommendation really gave me the drive to get into a car and see what it’s really about.

“I thought my first experience would be on the sidelines, but I’m throwing myself into the deep end a bit. I’ve never sat in one of the cars, and I’ve never raced at The Bend, but I guess its no different to other new categories our tracks that that I’ve been doing all through my career.

“For me, it’s a new track and I need to learn the car – you don’t get much more challenging circumstances, but sometimes having no pre conceived ideas that can be better.”

“I haven’t raced competitively since the end of last year, but it’s funny how quickly you get back into race mode. I’ve been watching videos of TCR from here and overseas, and it is really some of the best racing. It’s phenomenal how good the racing looks and how close the competition is, so it’s great to be part of it.”